Joshua Reynolds

Middle Ground: Reynolds and Chinard, Capturing Fleeting Glory

October 11, 2022

The power of portraiture is particularly potent on the fourth floor of Frick Madison. Considering two seemingly unrelated likenesses on view—Reynolds’s General John Burgoyne and Chinard’s Étienne Vincent de Margnolas—Rebecca Leonard, Curatorial Assistant, examines the works’ uneasy balance between glory and tragedy, epitomizing portraiture’s poignant reflection of the human condition.

Andrew J. O’Shaughnessy: "The Old Gamester: General John Burgoyne"

photo of Andrew O'Shaughnessy giving lecture at The Frick Collection

British General John Burgoyne’s theatrical personality, manicured appearance, and work as a playwright perfectly embody the stereotype of the aristocratic dilettante. His portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted about 1766, is the inspiration for this lecture, which details Burgoyne’s career as a rising military star before his defeat at Saratoga, a battle often regarded as the turning point of the American Revolution.

Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery

Link to introductory video for the exhibition 'Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery'

Susan Grace Galassi, Senior Curator at The Frick Collection, introduces the exhibition Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery, on view in the East Gallery through February 1, 2015.